PM Modi, Bangladesh’s Yunus meet as Hasina takes refuge in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday. The meeting followed Dhaka’s request for bilateral talks to ease tensions. However, Modi’s official schedule in Thailand had not confirmed the meeting.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh have grown due to attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and India’s decision to grant asylum to Sheikh Hasina. Yunus further fueled tensions with his remarks on India’s northeastern states during his visit to China’s Boao Forum for Asia.
Earlier, reports suggested Modi might meet Yunus. On Thursday, both leaders sat together at a dinner during the summit. Their meeting marked the highest-level engagement since Hasina fled to India in August last year. A massive student-led protest had toppled her 16-year rule, forcing her to seek asylum.
Yunus claimed Dhaka sent formal extradition requests for Hasina to face trial but received no response from New Delhi. In a letter last month, Modi reassured Yunus of India’s commitment to peace, stability, and mutual cooperation with Bangladesh.
The BIMSTEC summit brought together leaders from seven South and Southeast Asian nations, representing 1.73 billion people and a combined GDP of $5.2 trillion. Thailand, the current chair, hosted the first in-person summit since 2018. The talks between Modi and Yunus could shape future India-Bangladesh relations amid ongoing tensions.
